


Sherlock Holmes 1954 Meta Series

by brilliant_or_insane



Category: Sherlock Holmes (US TV 1954), Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: John Watson - Freeform, M/M, Meta, Ronald howard, Sherlock Holmes - Freeform, howard crawford, howard holmes - Freeform, howard marion-crawford, sheldon reynolds, sherlock holmes (1954)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-09-01 07:25:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16760638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brilliant_or_insane/pseuds/brilliant_or_insane
Summary: Last year I discovered a 1954 TV adaption of Sherlock Holmes produced by Sheldon Reynolds and starring Ronald Howard and Howard Crawford, fell irrevocably in love, and promptly scoured the internet for gifs, fic, and commentary. At my estimation it took under 4 hours to exhaust my sources. This is troubling, to say the least. So I've decided to do something about it: I have excavated my documents of extensive notes, and I will be embarking on an overly detailed episode-by-episode meta about the series, mostly about it’s gayness. Also other stuff, but mostly that. This will continue until I have commented on every episode—or until I abandon the project, which given my track record is far more likely. But there will still be more material about this gem out in the world then when I began, and that’s the main thing.





	1. Sherlock Holmes (1954): Joyous and Gay

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I'm beginning a series on Howard Holmes here while the loose ends of my Howard Holmes WIP fic lie abandoned. I honestly have no excuse. Who knows, maybe this project will prompt me to resume that story—but I'm not making any promises. At least if I don't finish this series it is less frustrating to be dropped mid-meta than mid-fic ... right?

Last year I discovered a 1954 TV adaption of Sherlock Holmes produced by Sheldon Reynolds and starring Ronald Howard and Howard Crawford, fell irrevocably in love, and promptly hunted down all the meta, gifs, and fic I could find on tumblr. It took about 10 minutes. I moved on to the internet at large—thanks primarily to one website this provided 1.5 hours of bearable material, tops. I dug for fics, which occupied another delightful but troublingly brief hour or so. Five minutes more were devoted to a short blurb in a book about Holmes adaptations, and I found with dismay that I had exhausted my sources.

This is troubling, to say the least, and I would have done something about it at the time had I not found a delightful group to watch the series and rant with. But time has passed, and I just re-watched the first 30 seconds. It turns out that’s all it took. I have excavated my documents of extensive notes, and I am ready to begin: I will be embarking on an overly detailed episode-by-episode meta about the series, mostly about it’s gayness. Also other stuff, but mostly that. This will continue until I have commented on every episode—or until I abandon the project, which given my track record is far more likely. But there will still be more material about this gem out in the world then when I began, and that’s the main thing.

But first, a brief introduction:

If there’s one thing I love most about this series, it is it’s unapologetic joyousness. It’s a quality I respect wherever I find it, but it is all the more welcome amidst the endless procession of dark and mechanic and gritty and heartbreaking Holmes’s. Whenever I see a post expressing exasperation over the way so many adaptations and readings of the character have blown Holmes’s darkness out of proportion and hidden his light, I first agree wholeheartedly, and then wish I could sit the OP down in front of this show.

You see, it’s not the most ‘accurate’ take on Holmes. This show is less a balanced representation than an intentional counterbalance. Essentially, Sheldon Reynolds looked at the way other adaptations lent into the darkness and went, ‘well that’s all very well, but what if we drew everyone’s attention to the fact that Holmes is a over-dramatic playful nerd?’ And you don’t have to take my word for it, because he said so himself: “[while reading _A Study in Scarlet_ ] I was suddenly struck by the difference between the character in that book and that of the stage and screen. Here, Holmes was a young man in his thirties, human, gifted, of a philosophic and scholastic bent, but subject to fateful mistakes which stemmed from his overeagerness and lack of experience.” You see, when it comes to interpreting Holmes, Reynolds is one of the good ones.

And then there’s Watson. Because lucky for us, Reynolds (supported by Howard Crawford) decided to be a hero on two counts.

As you may be aware, in 1954 you were lucky to have any Watson at all in your Holmes adaptations, and and if you did he was doomed to be a cardboard tag-along at best, and a straight-up buffoon at worst. But Reynolds and Crawford weren’t having that. Crawford was determined his Watson wouldn’t be “ the perennial brainless bungler who provided burlesque relief,” and he succeeded: Crawford’s Watson is not Holmes’s trailing sidekick, he is his partner.

It’s true that Watson has his moments of buffoonery—as early as episode 5 the poor man is convinced he has twice been accosted by a corporeal ghost. But this show isn’t one to take itself too seriously, and everyone—Holmes included—has their bouts of foolishness. Far more significant is the fact that, episode after episode, Watson earns his place: whether with his physical capability, groundedness, or scientific/medical expertise, Watson is consistently invaluable.

Besides, utilitarian practicality aside, Holmes just really likes him.

A few more notes:

• For financial reasons, with the exception of The Red Headed League this show does not directly adapt any of the canon stories.

• Like I said, this show doesn’t take itself too seriously. It is unabashedly delighted with its characters and its world, and if you’re looking for angst, this isn’t the place—although be prepared to be smacked with a rush of emotion when you least expect it.

• While I personally find most of this show’s flaws to be part of its charm or at least easily ignored, it does occasionally announce itself as a product of its time in a decidedly unfortunate manner. With one glaring exception it’s treatment of women tends towards the progressive, but I’m afraid I’ve nothing positive to say of its portrayal of race—its glaring whiteness is only occasionally altered by painfully stereotyped side-characters.

• Partial credit for everything I say goes to those who participated at any time in the Howard Holmes watchalongs—my thoughts on the series have become irrevocably mixed with theirs. I will of course try to give credit for any thoughts that aren’t mine, but I’m afraid it’s been a while and my memory isn’t fantastic. If you see me stealing someone else’s idea, do please let me know!

• Well, I think that’s it!

• Nothing more to say…

• Except.

• This series.

• It’s gay.

• So very gay.

• But more on that later.

• So. Much. More.


	2. The Case of the Cunningham Heritage (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Subtlety isn’t a highly valued trait in this series, bless it’s heart. As a result, the first episode gives a pretty clear sense of what you’re getting into: the story of a wounded war veteran who has miraculously escaped without physical or psychological scarring, and an enthusiastic-if-distractible chemist/detective who shake hands in a lab, simultaneously think: “I like this human. We shall spend the rest of our lives together,” and proceed to do just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you would prefer to read this meta on tumblr with pictures, you can do so here: https://brilliantorinsane.tumblr.com/
> 
> I am aware that this is somewhat long for a single installment of a 41-part meta series. It should naturally become more succinct after the groundwork has been laid, but I'm also still considering taking out the "my story" and/or "highlights" portions. If you have an opinion on the matter I'd love to hear it in the comments. Thanks!!
> 
> Also, normally I won’t write more than one meta per episode, but I feel their first meeting and first case merit separate treatments.

**The Episode:**

Subtlety isn’t a highly valued trait in this series, bless it’s heart. As a result, the first episode gives a pretty clear sense of what you’re getting into: the story of a wounded war veteran who has miraculously escaped without physical or psychological scarring, and an enthusiastic-if-distractible chemist/detective who shake hands in a lab, simultaneously think: “I like this human. We shall spend the rest of our lives together,” and proceed to do just that.

Following the title sequence (a simple and heartwarming scene of Holmes and Watson walking as close as possible down the street followed by a still of their coats hanging together next to a lamp), the episode begins with Watson gazing cheerily out a cab window while his voiceover narrates his return from war and pleasure at being back in London. It is clear at once that the series intends to elide the depression and ill-health that burdens Watson in canon—a passing mention of “long and difficult times” and the trials of war are all but forgotten.

A brief aside: I’m not often fond of voiceovers, but unfortunately this series does not touch on Watson’s writing, so his voiceovers are the closest we come to Watson as a storyteller. This comes with a bonus: the more he narrates the more we get the impression that we are being regaled with these stories by an old and content Watson, and it adds security to this narrative’s joy. One feels convinced there was no bitter end for these two; the memories are untainted with loss or estrangement, and more than likely Holmes is sitting across from Watson with his pipe and listening to his hopelessly embellished narrations with a fond and twinkling eye.

Returning to the episode: although the case in this episode bears no resemblance to A Study in Scarlet, it does closely replicate Holmes and Watson’s first meeting, moving from Watson’s reconnection with Stamford through to Watson’s list of Holmes’s fields of knowledge and ignorance. As for the dynamics of their meeting, if you have not seen the series I urge you to stop reading and watch minutes 3.33–7.44, because in my eyes their meeting is magic. Holmes is wrapped up in his discovery of a test for identifying hemoglobin and begins regaling Watson with his delight the moment he enters. His sporadic intermingling of greetings with rambling about his findings is hardly polite, yet it is impossibly endearing insofar as it springs from what appears to be an equally genuine delight in his discovery and the stranger in front of him. Besides, the initially scattered proceedings do add a level of weight to the moment when Holmes stills, stands very close, and gazes intently at Watson while explaining his deductions.

For his part, despite his previous discomfort over Stamford’s anecdote about Holmes’s corpse-beating, Watson is instantly charmed by Holmes—charmed, bemused, fascinated, and already (in my view anyhow) careening his way to being in love. Not only does he forget his reservations and instantly agree to move in with the man (Holmes having made up his own mind amidst his rambling about hemoglobin), he enters willingly into the conversational dance and within moments has already adopted this particular smile, a smile which ranges between smitten “you are incredible and fascinating” and indulgent “I love my silly husband whom I just met.” (For reference, see minute 7.11–7.35).

All in all, their first two scenes together are simple enough. And yet there is something masterful about them, for they tell you just about everything you need to know about this iteration of the characters: that this Holmes is capable of the rudeness and disconnection adaptations often highlight, but rather than heartlessness its primary source is an overabundance of absent-minded enthusiasm; that Watson is decidedly more inclined to push against Holmes’s actions than he presents himself as being in the canon, but that he ultimately loves and is willing to trust the wild dance of Holmes’s proceedings; and that they are instantly, endlessly fond of one another.

**My Story:**

I debated whether to include this section, because it is terribly self-indulgent. But heck, I’m writing this for my own enjoyment, and you can always skip the section if you’re uninterested, so I’m doing it.

The thing is, on the surface Holmes and Watson fall into a pattern immediately and the growth of their relationship—romantic or otherwise—is seldom an overt theme. But as I watched I found myself imagining that I was seeing alterations in their relationship, signaled by major events and upheld by the behavior in following episodes. Now, although I would argue that Holmes and Watson’s relationship is intentionally romantic in the series (a point I’ll attempt to defend as the evidence amasses), I have no clue whether any part the story I imagined myself to be seeing was intentional. As a result it feels out of place in the main analyses of the episodes. It is, however, built entirely on the actual events of the show and I am very fond of it. So for whomever is interested, this section will be less about concrete analysis than about relating my own half-observed and half-created narrative.

That narrative also inspired several chapters of an episode-by-episode fic, which is essentially a more embellished version of that story. It is currently unfinished because I’m bad at completing things, but I’ll attach the relevant chapter of the fic to this section for the episodes that have been finished, and with luck I might even continue the fic as I work on this series—but don’t get your hopes up.

That being said, here is how the story begins:

There’s little to add to this episode, because the joy of their meeting and instant compatibility is so on the surface that it needs no interpretation. But insofar as it is the beginning of a romance, I do have this to say: I’ve never pinpointed a moment when I believe them to have fallen in love—crossing the line between falling and fallen rarely comes with fanfare. However, in my eyes, during those early days neither of them recognized anything romantic in their affections.

You see, in these first episodes there is an utter freedom to their affections; an unadulterated delight in one another’s company that is free from the anxieties they must feel upon realizing they are falling for their flatmate of unknown orientation in an society where such affections are dangerous. Yes, Watson is frequently exasperated and wonders what he got himself into; yes Holmes is so distracted by his experiments and his cases that he almost fails to notice how deeply integrated Watson has already become in his life and heart. But the prevailing emotion is delight. This is the honeymoon stage; this is the dance. There are troubles ahead before the final joys, but for now there is freedom.

You can read the first chapter of my Howard Holmes fic [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12795147/chapters/29202225).

**Highlights:**

And here is the final regular section (also highly ignorable) because I have no self-control: a list of episode highlights and their timestamps that didn’t fit in the above sections but that I can’t bear not mentioning. For example:

  * Minute 1.36–1.47: Unlike the chance meeting in canon, Watson and Stamford have an arranged meeting in a club, and during their hearty greetings an old gentleman turns towards them, looking rather shocked and offended. I originally assumed he was just annoyed by the noise, and perhaps that was the intention; the curious thing is that he ignores Stamford’s high-volume greeting entirely, his consternation seeming to arise instead as a direct response to this exchange: Watson: “it’s good to see you,” Stamford: “not as well as you, obviously; you look great, old man!” That is, the man reacts directly to the way Stamford (flirtatiously?) turns Watson’s stock-greeting into a comment on Watson’s appearance and how Stamford enjoys looking at him. Now, I’m not necessarily saying that the creator’s intention was that Stamford has a bit of a crush on Watson and the old man represents potential homophobia in the audience while the ‘goodness gracious what a prude’ glance that Stamford and Watson exchange in response represents just how little the creators care for audience members who might react that way; I’m just saying that in my head that’s exactly what’s happening. (And I’m not gonna lie, having seen the whole series I wouldn’t put it past the showrunners to have intended precisely that).
  * 6.59–7.15: Holmes owns a full length plastic-or-whatever-they’re-made-of-skeleton, and somewhere I got it in my head to pretend it represented Holmes’s homosexuality. Don’t ask me why; I don’t think it actually does and I’ve no clue why it would. Yet the thought paid off so thoroughly in multiple scenes that I’m keeping it. This first instance occurs when they are moving into 221b: Holmes absently lifts it from a box and hands it to Watson, who without giving it a second glance sets it in his chair, staring at Holmes all the while, pats it once with each hand, and then softens his face into the most husbandly smile yet. Translation: Holmes: “Let’s see, my vials shall go here, my bottles there, and my gayness belongs to Watson.” Watson: “Naturally; I’ll take care of it.”
  * A comprehensive list of the best smiles Watson directs at Holmes in the first 7 minutes and 44 seconds: 4.05, 4.19, 4.57, 5.55–5.57, 7.13, 7.22, and 7.39.
  * Without doubt Watson is the first to perfect the ‘my husband is silly and I love him’ smile, but Holmes makes his first (rather adorable) blink-and-you-miss-it attempt at 6.43 while lecturing Watson on the uselessness of astronomy. Also consider Holmes’s secret little smile after shaking Watson’s hand for the first time at 4:15.




	3. The Case of the Cunningham Heritage (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I confess that when it comes to Holmes stories I tend to neglect the cases in favor of examining character and relationship dynamics. Certainly I didn’t think I had anything interesting to say about the case in this episode apart from the ways it continues to reveal aspects of this Holmes and Watson’s relationship. But as I watched it again, I realized that I had nearly missed out on one of the best parts of the episode. For although this case is not in itself especially compelling, its framing contextualizes Holmes and Watson as not merely crime-solvers, but as defenders of the innocent and the unheard.

I confess that when it comes to Holmes stories I tend to neglect the cases in favor of examining character and relationship dynamics. Certainly I didn’t think I had anything interesting to say about the case in this episode apart from the ways it continues to reveal aspects of this Holmes and Watson’s relationship. But as I watched it again, I realized that I had nearly missed out on one of the best parts of the episode. For although this case is not in itself especially compelling, its framing contextualizes Holmes and Watson as not merely crime-solvers, but as defenders of the innocent and the unheard.

After Holmes and Watson receive a letter from Lestrade inviting them on a case, we are removed from their already comforting presence and transported to the scene of the crime, where we see a desperate woman begging three stone-faced onlookers to believe she did not murder her fiancee. The power differential between the woman and her accusers is visually emphasized by her being seated as the others stand over her, and we soon have confirmation of what their positions suggest: her accusers relish wielding their power over her.

The first accuser, being the actual murder, has obvious motives for wishing her to be found guilty; the second, the wealthy mother of the murdered man, is eager to judge a woman she always hated on the basis of her being a poor governess engaged to her son. Lestrade, the third accuser, practically gloats over her pain and proves to be far more interested in concluding the case quickly and looking good in the process than in ensuring justice. By the time it is revealed the woman once spent nine months in jail, her accusers regard it as confirmation of why they already wished to believe.

As a result of this framing, Holmes and Watson are not primarily up against the supposed stupidity of the police-force. The real obstacles are class prejudice, laziness, pride, and a base pleasure in wielding power over the weak. During this case what is needed is not only or even primarily their intelligence, but rather their fair-mindedness and their empathy.

And indeed, the tone of the room does shift the moment they enter. Whereas the previous occupants seemed primarily interested in flinging accusations at the woman, Holmes’s first move is to examine the scene for evidence. Intentionally or not, in doing so he draws attention away from the now sobbing woman, allowing her a moment to compose herself.

For his part, when attention returns to the woman Watson quickly relinquishes his position of power, lowering himself to his knees and offering her comfort. It is true that he stands again when Holmes reveals that she married her fiancee in secret and thus will gain financially from his death, and the woman’s despairing glance at Watson as she finds herself overhung now by four men is a little heartbreaking. But it is worth noting that in the wake of the revelation of her low class-status, former jail-time, and secret marriage, he finds no satisfaction or even complacency in her apparent guilt, insisting despite Lestrade’s assertion that one get’s used to these sorts of things: “I still think it’s a tragedy.”

This series doesn’t always display that level of social critique, and Lestrade, who generally assumes the role of good-hearted buffoon that this Watson has mercifully vacated, doesn’t always appear in a negative light. But I love that the first episode is structured to emphasize that Holmes and Watson aren’t heroes merely because they have unique levels of intelligence and physical capability, but also because their love of truth and their compassion serve as protection against prejudice, complacency, and pride.

**My Story:**

I don’t have much to add to what I said in part 1. However, if there is a moment in which Holmes begins to fall in love, it is when Watson rescues them from the actual murderer. Obviously Holmes liked Watson enormously from the start, but when Holmes realizes he has led this poor innocent man into mortal danger, only to have said ‘poor innocent’ neutralize the threat with quick efficiency, he looks at the man like … well, like he's really rather smitten.

**Highlights:**

• One think I enjoy about the duo’s case-working dynamic is the way Watson immediately becomes Holmes’s confidant for anything from thoughts on the case to snide asides. For example: 11:09–11:22, 12:33–13:00, 15:40–16:25, 19:25–31, 20:17–20:20, 24:11–24:26.

• 12:33–13:00: Although it ultimately has little bearing on the case, I appreciate that Watson’s medical skills are immediately made use of.

• 19:44: A Baker Street Irregular!!!

• 20:17–21:36: Honestly, few scenes better encapsulate this iteration of the duo than Holmes proposing illegal means of investigation and Watson objecting every step of the way without once raising a finger to stop Holmes or remove himself from the situation.

• 22:41–22:46: I briefly discussed Watson taking out the murderer, but I have to mention this eloquent exchange of looks: **Holmes:** “I’m sorry Watson, I don’t know what to do and I shouldn’t have brought you here.” **Watson:** “Well, I did tell you, but I’m not frightened.” 23:47–23:51: Watson is so very delighted at having the chance to be useful and impressive (despite Holmes having just dragged him into a potentially lethal situation) and it’s adorable.

• 23:57: “Only a man could have struck that blow” …………… *sigh*

• 24:42–25:36: Two days in and Watson has already appointed himself Holmes’s knight in shining armor, defender of his honor. I love him.

• 25:36–25:53: I have mixed feelings about Holmes’s response to Watson’s outburst, which is to wonder whether Watson may have suffered a head injury while abroad. The observation always struck me as a bit mean-spirited, but I still enjoy it’s implications for two reasons: first, this adaptation refuses to cast Watson as the straight-man, the mad detective’s ‘normal’ associate. In case the audience hadn’t picked up on that when Watson broke into a house with a man he met the day before, Holmes’s musing make this quite clear. Secondly, I am intrigued by the fact that this is the action which leads Holmes to question his partner’s sanity—it doesn’t seem to occur to Holmes that Watson’s behavior might be easily explained by the fact that Watson cares about him.


	4. The Case of the Lady Beryl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the name suggests, the closest canon analogue for this episode is The Case of the Beryl Cornet. As far as I can tell the similarities are pretty superficial, basically just consisting of the fact that both mysteries feature a suspect taking the fall for a crime they didn’t commit for the sake of a loved one. I didn’t notice anything particularly interesting in the episode’s use of the canon story, so I am going to set that aside and focus on Watson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite the long Christmas (and post-Christmas) break, I am still working on this series! I wasn't particularly looking forward to writing this chapter, in part because I didn't think I had much to say about it. But a lack of conciseness has never been one of my more pressing issues, and so this chapter became a somewhat lengthy analysis of Watson's character in this series. Enjoy!!

As the title suggests, the closest canon analogue for this episode is _The Case of the Beryl Cornet_. As far as I can tell the similarities are pretty superficial, basically just consisting of the fact that both mysteries feature a suspect taking the fall for a crime they didn’t commit for the sake of a loved one. I didn’t notice anything particularly interesting in the episode’s use of the canon story, so I am going to set that aside and focus on Watson.

This episode features Holmes at his best, but I was initially bothered by the fact that Watson spends the first half of the episode being rather stupider than normal. Now, characters needn’t be intelligent to be loved and lovable, and the fact that Holmes and Watson take their turns being played for fools is frankly one of the strengths of the series. But given the history of adaptations erasing Watson’s capabilities I get touchy when he is being underestimated, so when in the span of 10 minutes he has fallen for a transparent lie from Lestrade, mocked Holmes’s experiments, taken 24 seconds to process a perfectly straightforward sentence, and flat-out forgotten how bullets work, I start getting defensive.

Fortunately, fandom has taught me a great deal about the potential for audience interaction with texts to be transformative as well as analytical, so I’ve brought my stubbornness to bear and found an interpretation that (mostly) satisfies me. I do not know whether the reading I have to offer was in any way intended, but I do think it is consistent with what exists on the screen and adds depth to Watson’s characterization. That being said I don’t suppose I’ll ever entirely forgive them for implying that John Watson, a fricken doctor _and_ soldier, is unable to differentiate between a bullet-wound and a bashed-in head.

The observation that prompted my re-evaluation of Watson’s behavior was realizing that in every instance his slowness is directly related to his following Lestrade’s lead or being more focused on Lestrade than Holmes. This is a curious thing, particularly since I think it would be far too simplistic to infer that Watson is simply looking for someone to follow and imitate. After all, even though Holmes has a deep effect on him, Watson frequently challenges Holmes’s conclusions and never adopts his manner. So of all people, why would Watson choose to imitate Lestrade, a man who is frequently the butt of the joke and at times seems to care about his own image more than the justice he has been given the authority and responsibility to protect?

My theory, counterintuitive though it may seem, is that Lestrade is the sort of man Watson believes he ought to be. I think there is evidence that this Watson, regardless of his actual personality and inclinations, thinks he ought to be a traditionally proper English gentleman. Throughout the show he continually protests Holmes’s eccentricities, and yet far from meaningfully attempting to abate or escape them, he not infrequently joins in wholeheartedly. To me, this seems indicative of a pattern: in this series Holmes and Watson are both eccentric madmen, but whereas Holmes is perfectly comfortable with the fact, Watson has put effort into appearing ‘normal’ and ‘correct’, and periodically struggles to maintain or reclaim that image—both in the eyes of others and himself.

And the funny thing about Lestrade is that, for all his buffoonery, in a very real way he represents the proper English gentleman. When Holmes isn’t busy destabilizing Lestrade’s self-image he is confident, assertive, and takes the lead. His manner (when he feels in control) is dignified and polite. He has the socially sanctioned “correct” opinions about gender and class and English superiority. And granted much of this is a facade which interferes with his accomplishing his job justly and well, but it has been sanctioned by the symbol of the police cap and the power of the Inspector. He has been chosen as the protector of a society whose cultural ideal he (superficially) embodies.

So, all things considered, Watson is very little like Lestrade, but Lestrade is very much like the sort of man Watson has been socially conditioned to aspire to.

(As a side note, part of the reason I enjoy this reading of Howard Watson is that it puts him in conversation with other Watson adaptations and the canon itself. Certainly it fits with my reading of the BBC _Sherlock_ and Guy Ritchie Watsons. I haven’t decided the extent to which I read canon Watson in a similar manner, but the potential for such a reading is there in the way he paints himself as a deeply normal man while engaging in highly abnormal behavior. _The Sign of Four_ , I suspect, provides especially good material for such an interpretation).

Perhaps the best part of this reading is that, if Lestrade leads Watson into performative normality, it is Holmes who releases him. Once Holmes is included in the investigation, a gradual shift occurs. At first Watson maintains his alliance with Lestrade, but for all that Lestrade has the advantage of social pressures pushing Watson towards him, this cannot last long once Holmes has re-entered the picture. By the time they are interviewing the primary suspect, he has returned to his usual intelligent and capable self.

Because that’s one of the many the beauties of their relationship: Holmes frees Watson from the endless task of conforming, and his genuine self is far better than any cheap imitation. And while I didn’t get into in this write-up, Watson returns the favor by loving Holmes as he is while curbing his more dangerous exterminates and keeping him grounded and present. Also in this episode he’s already 2-for-2 saving Holmes’s life and property and they’re just so good for each other and I love them.

**My Story:**

I don’t have anything particular to add on this point aside from what I’ve already said, but here’s the link to chapter two of _Hidden in the Moments_ :

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12795147/chapters/29238576#workskin

**Highlights:**

  * Although Watson’s behavior around Lestrade isn’t his finest, I quite enjoy the fact that in the second episode Watson has already wheedled his way into cases on his own merit. Then his first move is to convince Lestrade to involve Holmes, which is adorable.
  * Also when he suggests they bring in Holmes his eyes get all soft and he has this warm little smile, like he’s so pleased and excited at the prospect of seeing Holmes at work again (3.20).
  * It’s also worth noting that the first thing that gets Watson on Lestrade’s side is Lestrade ranting about how Holmes deserves more credit. I’m pretty sure it’s insincere deflection on Lestrade’s part, but Watson believes him and is so endeared to Lestrade for defending Holmes and it’s honestly quite sweet.
  * Wilkins!!! Have I mentioned yet that I really love Wilkins? He’s smart without being showy, plays everything straight but is actually rather snarky, doesn't dismiss Holmes’s experiments like most people do and is maybe the only character who always enjoys Holmes’s intelligence without feeling threatened by it. I just find him really endearing.
  * So Wilkins walks into Baker Street when Holmes is doing an experiment, and Holmes immediately drags him into his experiment while absentmindedly offering him tea twice. And I love this scene because this Holmes is actually pretty social, it’s just on his own terms. He’s probably not going to do small-talk most days, but when he’s in the right mood he will serve you endless cups of probably-not-poisoned tea and ramble about his current fixation, which I honestly feel like is very true to canon. Also I think he just genuinely likes Wilkins.
  * When trying to hurry Holmes off to a crime scene Lestrade calls his experiments ‘nonsense.’ Poor Holmes looks absolutely stricken, then passionately lectures Lestrade on the importance of Science and Progress all the way to the crime scene. Holmes is a nerd and I love him.
  * As they rush off to the crime scene Watson pauses to turn off the burner under Holmes’s experiments, and by Holmes’s estimation very likely saved Baker Street. It’s a lovely little example of how Watson’s somewhat more grounded personality works in tandem with Holmes’s absentminded hyperfocusing.
  * I quite like Lady Beryl. Granted her performance and circumstances are a bit melodramatic, but she has a quiet and calculating strength that draws me to her.
  * There’s a scene at 16:15 when Holmes is (rather unnecessarily) ribbing Lestrade and Lestrade begins to get worked up and defensive. Matters could have escalated from there, but Watson quietly leans forward and relays some pertinent facts about the crime scene to Holmes. It’s just a little moment of unpretentious conflict-resolution born of what Watson has already come to understand about these two men, and I really appreciate it.
  * 24:27–24:32: “Brilliant Holmes, absolutely brilliant!”“Thank you Watson :)”
  * Watson again nabs the criminal efficiently and without posturing, while Holmes watches with all the attentiveness he offers a crime scene before offering one of his secret little smiles.
  * Holmes runs off in a panic upon realizing he left the burner on, and the episode ends before Watson can catch up and reassure him. And while I have my own (much longer) mental timeline of events, I must admit that what with our not being privy to the moment, the rush of gratitude and relief when Holmes realizes what Watson has done makes it an excellent candidate for a first kiss.




End file.
